Early voting is underway to determine the next City Council member who will serve North Central Austin’s District 7. In November, none of the six candidates earned more than half of the vote, so the top two candidates are now on the ballot again. Mike Siegel, who won just under 40 percent (13,681 votes) in […]
Elections
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Austin mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido’s request for recount is denied
A request for a recount in the November general election by Austin mayoral candidate Carmen Llanes Pulido has been denied, city officials said. Llanes Pulido had filed a request Thursday for a recount of the votes in the city’s 11 precincts in Williamson County. Officials said under state law, a recount must be for the […]
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Ethics complaint against Watson campaign still unsettled after hearing
The question of whether Mayor Kirk Watson’s reelection campaign violated the city’s campaign finance rules remained unsettled last week following a hearing before the Ethics Review Commission. The commission recessed shortly after 10 p.m. after deadlocking on one motion to dismiss the complaint and another to extend the meeting past 10 p.m. That left little […]
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Kirk Watson avoids runoff, secures new term as Austin mayor
Kirk Watson has officially won a new term as Austin’s next mayor. Watson led his four challengers on Nov. 5, but did not have enough votes to claim victory outright. He had to win a majority of the vote, or 50% plus one vote, to secure a new term and avoid a runoff. After adding […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Travis County voters supported a tax rate increase to expand access to affordable child care. What happens now?
Last week, approximately 60 percent of Travis County voters approved Proposition A – a property tax increase that will expand access to affordable child care and after-school/summer programs for lower-income families. The tax increase ($0.025 per $100 valuation for a total ad valorem tax rate of 0.34 percent) will also support the development of child […]
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The race for Austin mayor is too close to call. Provisional ballots may tip the scales.
When the Travis County Clerk released the final tally of votes for Austin mayor early Wednesday, none of the candidates had enough to claim victory. Incumbent Kirk Watson was ahead with just over 50 percent of the vote. He needed (and still needs) 50 percent plus one vote to be declared the winner – otherwise the […]
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Watson is ahead in election for Austin mayor, but it’s unclear if he’ll avoid a runoff
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is ahead in the city’s mayoral race with just over 50% of the vote, according to unofficial voting totals. It appears the incumbent might be able to eke out an outright win over his four opponents and avoid a runoff election in December. But voters may not have final results for […]
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Siegel, Bledsoe headed for a runoff in District 7
In a crowded race to represent North Central District 7, none of the six contenders managed to snag 50 percent of the vote. As a result, Mike Siegel and Gary Bledsoe will face off in a runoff next month. Siegel, who generated the most funding and endorsements during the general election, claimed about 40 percent […]
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Laine appears to edge out Kelly in race for D6 Council seat
Austin’s District 6 seat for City Council appeared to have been won by challenger Krista Laine, based on unofficial results from Travis and Williamson counties posted early Wednesday morning. Laine held a 704-vote lead over incumbent Mackenzie Kelly, according to the results, with the combined totals showing 13,953 votes for Laine and 13,249 votes for […]
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Duchen clinches narrow win in District 10 election
Although the race was extremely close, at the end of Tuesday night Marc Duchen could claim victory in the District 10 City Council contest over his only opponent, Ashika Ganguly. Duchen finished with 20,731 votes to Ganguly’s 20,227, with only 504 votes separating the two. Unlike some other races, the final tally did not come […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Voters pass Austin Independent School District Proposition A
Austin Independent School District Proposition A, a tax rate election, passed with 58 percent of the vote on Nov. 5, resulting in a property tax increase for Austin residents that will invest $41 million in AISD. The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted in August to place Proposition A on the November ballot after a […]
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Vela and Fuentes hold on to City Council seats
Two of the least-competitive City Council races played out exactly as most people anticipated they would, with Council members Vanessa Fuentes and Chito Vela easily holding on to their City Council seats Tuesday. Vela, who squared off against four challengers, won 58.5 percent of the vote in District 4, avoiding a runoff. His campaign centered […]